This weekend, the Summer Olympics get under way in Paris. In recent years, superstar athletes like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps have spoken out about mental health and their challenges. The U.S. Olympic Committee believes half their American athletes struggle with at least one of the following: anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, eating disorders, substance use or abuse.
This has prompted a change in Olympic supports for athletes – 170 mental health professionals will be on hand, says the head of the International Olympic Committee’s mental health unit.
There will be a 24/7 helpline with mental health counselors who speak more than 70 languages, a program started for the Beijing Games but now available to every Olympian and Paralympian until four years after the event. There’s also AI to monitor athletes’ social media for cyberbullying, and a “mind zone” in the athletes’ village with a yoga area, low lighting, comfortable seating and other tools dedicated to disconnection and decompression.
Even the greatest athletes in the world can struggle with mental health – let’s make sure everyone who does gets the help they need.
Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 100 companies and more than 10,000 construction professionals better understand mental health. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.
